UPDATE: The winner of an autographed copy of THE DEVIL SHE KNOWS is KT! Congrats!! Please email your physical addy to contests(AT)knightagency.net.
Leave a comment to win an autographed copy of THE DEVIL SHE KNOWS by Diane Whiteside. The winner will be announced tomorrow afternoon.
The 411: Even a devil deserves the good love of a woman...
After avenging the murders of his family, Gareth Lowell headed west to put his demons to rest. Though several years have passed, he still carries the weight of his sins and doesn't believe he deserves to be loved-even by the beautiful Portia Townsend. He's known Portia since she was a young girl, and though she's blossomed into a voluptuous woman, he resists the deep longing she stirs in him.
When Portia realizes Gareth will never see her as anything more than the feisty, silly girl she once was, she decides to move on. Trouble is, Portia has once again gotten herself into a dangerous situation, and the only way out is to marry Gareth-if only temporarily. Turns out getting hitched was the easy part, while giving up a scorching passion is the last thing either are willing to admit...
There was this guy in my church during my high school years. He was a nut. Not really, but he seemed to tilt toward crazy. A jittery man with jittery hands. He took a bunch of us teens rock-climbing trip. (Looking back, a huge lapse in parental responsibility.) The cliffs weren’t insane high, maybe one hundred feet, which only meant a shorter fall to our deaths.
Which, of course, was impossible. We had harnesses and straps and ropes and carabineers connecting us to this world—shoot, we couldn’t have fallen if we tried.
After a day of climbing, it was our guide’s turn (pay attention, ‘cause this is where the nut assessment comes into my memory of this man). Jittery walked to the edge of the cliff, the straight-down cliff, the smooth-no-finger-hold cliff, and vanished over the edge.
Spiderman. That’s what he was. He free climbed up and down and across. His fingertips found fissures and rough spots and he stuck like glue, scampered across that rock face.
I could barely force myself to edge. But I had to watch this spectacle. Finally, he crawled back over the lip into the land of the living. He didn’t fall on the ground and kiss it. He smiled and pushed us back from the edge. “You’re all too close.” All he said. His hand jitter was gone. He sounded at peace.
This most terrifying experience changed him, cleared him, and from the looks of things, he felt normal.
So I sit behind a computer dreaming up stories and I remember how death chased the jitters from a crazy man, and the idea for RUSH comes. Maybe he wasn’t so crazy. Maybe it’s me, whose idea of extreme sport is chasing my neighbor’s milk cows. Maybe I’m the nutty one.
Writing RUSH was my own trip into the world of the crazed. Into a place where safe feels like death and death feels like life.
RUSH Cover Copy: Jake King is a full-fledged adrenaline junkie. He'll jump off of a waterfall, ride his bike down the side of a mountain, rock climb without harnesses…anything to feel the rush. Besides his best friend and secret love of his life, the beautiful Salome Lee, getting his adrenaline pumping is the only thing that clears his head. So when he's offered a spot on a hotshot crew of firefighters who rappel into wildfires, it's the perfect opportunity. Never mind that the crew members call themselves the Immortals, and that they have a habit of dying young. Salome knows there's more to the crew's mortality rate than bad luck, and to save Jake, she puts their friendship—and their unspoken romance—on the line. But to Jake, firefighting is like breathing pure adrenaline. And if he doesn't stop soon, they could all get burned. . . .
UPDATE: The winner of Chimera by Rob Thurman is Erika Lynn! Congrats!! Please email your physical addy to contests(AT)knightagency.net.
20 Questions is a feature on The Knight Agency blog where you can get to know more about our clients -- from soup to nuts. Various authors will answer the same set of questions you see below for the rest of the year. Learn their go-to sources for information on writing and publishing, how they like their coffee, what they did when they got "The Call," and much more. Yeah, it's kind of like the email forwards you keep getting from your BFF, but better. ;-)
Today, Rob Thurman, New York Times bestselling author of the Cal Leandros series, is stepping into the spotlight. As a special treat the Knight Agency is giving away a copy of her latest release, CHIMERA, to one lucky commenter. Check the bottom of the post for instructions on how to enter.
1. Where are you at this exact moment?
--On the couch with a laptop and a horrifically obese cat named Dexter after the serial killer from Showtime.
2. Are you a “seat of your pants” writer or do map out the story like a meticulous cartographer?
--I’m so seat of the pants that I don’t even wear the pants. I’m a “cheek of my ass” writer. Although, to be fair, I do always know one thing going into a book…how it’s going to end. Nothing can begin without the knowledge of an end—and I like my endings of the over Niagara Falls in a barrel kind, the last giant hill on a rollercoaster and riding it all the way to the bottom.
3. What one item is a must have or what ritual do you absolutely have to perform in order to get your writing mojo going?
--Avoid all writing-related business mail. Nothing will deflate your mojo faster!
4. If you were stranded on a deserted island with only one book to entertain you, what would you want it to be?
--Most likely a book on how to build a boat.
5. What is the first thing you did after receiving “The Call” from your agent?
--I think I threw up. Or maybe I hid in the closet. Or maybe I ran down the street buck naked screaming at the top of my lungs. Actually, none of those. I’d been rejected for so long, so many years, that I was more numb than anything else. It was a call telling me…yeah, we decided that you don’t suck that much after all. Welcome aboard! But don’t eat the shrimp in case we change our mind. I wish I’d been one of the miracle ones who sell instantly. I would’ve loved to have known what that felt like. I’d bet it’s amazing.
6. Do you have an old manuscripts gathering dust that you think should still be published, or, in retrospect, did they turn out to just be a practice run?
--CHIMERA (released June 1st) is six years old and it received the best reviews of anything I’ve done.
7. Are you a member of a critique group?
--Nope. I’m too thin-skinned. Not drinking that Kool-Aid.
8. If you were a literary character, who would you be?
--Villains are usually my favorite…hmmmm. Perhaps Hannibal Lecter without the cannibalism. The layers and layers of psychology behind that character blew me the hell away. What twisted insane logic went on inside his head would be fascinating…again, without the cannibalism, I swear.
9. Do you prefer reading a physical book or downloading it on your Kindle/Nook/Sony Reader/insert name of any of the other myriad e-readers? --Paperback all the way. I spent most of my childhood in libraries after school and if I can’t smell the paper, feel the weight, it loses its magic. And books have always been magical. Plus I can take them in the tub with me and not worry about frying them and myself. And, yes, I’m sure a battery could fry you if it tried hard enough.
10. What is your favorite go-to blog or website for writing advice?
--Lynn Viehl’s paperback writer blog…she tells it like it is.
11. What is your favorite go-to blog or website for industry happenings?
12. What’s the strangest place or incident that’s inspired one of your characters or storylines?
--Haven’t written it yet, but last week a man in a rusty beat-up pick up truck without A/C came to the door selling meat from a freezer in the back of the truck. If that doesn’t scream serial killer, nothing does. I think he sold steak, chicken, and Grandma.
13. Rollercoaster rides: Let’s get in line or I’d rather keep my feet on the ground while eating a delicious corn dog? (I know, random right?)
--One incident of someone else’s puke in your face ruins rollercoasters for you forever. But for life in general…trying to live as a writer is one of the bigger risks you can take. But I’d like the corndog too.
14. What was the hardest lesson that you had to learn about publishing as a newbie?
-My therapist has labeled this question off limits.
15. Coffee: keep it simple (black); liven it up a little (at least cream and/or sugar); everything but the kitchen sink (caramel, raspberry, mocha java latte with extra whip and a few of those dark chocolate curls on top...); I’ll pass (yuck, coffee tastes like cigarettes).
--Everything but the kitchen sink.
16. Animal lover or is keeping a goldfish alive too much to ask?
--Animal lover, but I can kill a tree just by looking at it.
17. Which one of your characters would you most like to meet in person?
--The one least likely to hate me for putting through all the godawful things I have.
18. What is your current release about?
--CHIMERA is an action-thriller along the lines of classic Dean Koontz (such as THE WATCHERS or LIGHTNING). It involves a man, Stefan, trying to find his brother who was abducted ten years before. Yet when he finally does, it’s only to discover Lukas has been raised in a experimental facility that does work in genetic manipulation. The book has them on the run from Jericho, the scientist in charge of the facility, while trying to rediscover their family connection, discovering the lengths Stefan will go to to protect his brother…and finding out what Lukas, thanks to Jericho’s handiwork, now has become.
Paul Goat Allen of Barnes & Noble compared it to Dean Koontz, Jonathan Kellerman, Robin Cook, and Michael Crichton. I was quite chuffed.
19. What projects do you have on the horizon?
--Right now, the seventh book in the Cal Leandros Novels—Urban Fantasy. TV has Supernatural, Urban Fantasy has me.
20. Where is the best place for readers to find out more about you?
--www.RobThurman.net I have links to twitter and LJ there, although I now blog on my website and it’s mirrored to my LJ. And I tweet at least once a day for fear fans will think I’m dead and pound the door down trying to pry the next Cal Leandros book out of my corpse. I love my fans.
Leave a comment to win a copy of CHIMERA by Rob Thurman. The contest will be open until Monday, June 28th. The winner will be annouced in this post Monday afternoon. Good luck!
Interview with Photographer Nancy J. Locke (and giveaway!)
UPDATE: The winners of HOPE AND COMFORT FOR EVERY SEASON are Dino Rubio and Playground Monitor. Please send your physical addresses to contests(AT)knightagency.net. Thanks to everyone who commented. Have a wonderful weekend!!!
Nancy J. Locke's inspiring photographs are the perfect accompaniment to New York Times bestselling author Cecil Murphey's words in the recent release, HOPE AND COMFORT FOR EVERY SEASON (Harvest House, June 2010). Today, Nancy is stopping by to give some insight into the world of photography, sharing some images from her fabulous portfolio and giving away TWO books. Check the bottom of the post to find out how to win!
TKA: What is HOPE AND COMFORT FOR EVERY SEASON about?
Nancy: We all have individual journeys in this life that include sparkling sunshine and dark storms. In HOPE AND COMFORT FOR EVERY SEASON, Cecil Murphey illuminates Ecclesiastes 3 and the fact that we should allow our emotions to experience life to the fullest. If we are dancing, we should dance joyfully, if we are crying, we should mourn and not hold back. This gift book embraces the emotions of life and encourages us to trust God and reach out for His guidance as we experience our journeys on this earth.
TKA: What elements of composition were you looking for in deciding what images would work best for HOPE AND COMFORT FOR EVERY SEASON?
Nancy: Having lived close to nature for eighteen years, the whispering leaves and soothing sound of the waves have become part of my spiritual connection with God. I see how much He cares for us through the gift of nature and I want others to experience the inspiration I am feeling when snapping photos and talking with God. The elements I look for are the ones God chooses for me to see when I have moments of enlightenment.
TKA: Why do you think photographs/art are just as inspiring and important to readers as the words on a page? How is the impact of imagery different from words?
Nancy: Photography encapsulates emotion. It’s an intimate connection that is shared with others. One glance at a photograph can speak volumes. The artist connects with his subject and his own soul, and the viewer connects with the artist and the emotions that he or she has experienced in the past and have been brought to light.
TKA: How did you get your start in photography?
Nancy: When in high school, I became co-editor of the high school newspaper which published in the small town newspaper. I spent much time with a camera and in the darkroom and loved it!
TKA: How long does it take you to get the perfect shot?
Nancy: Sometimes I’ll lift my camera over my head in the double-seated kayak and snap a photo of my husband who has been paddling me to the perfect shot along the lakeshore wilds, and when I arrive home I see how pale he looks. Other times the perfect shot lies seconds away. Knowing how the camera works and having the eye needed for composition are all it takes after reaching a location. Lighting is key too. I generally only snap photos in the early morning or evening hours.
Leave a comment to win a copy of HOPE AND COMFORT FOR EVERY SEASON. Two winners will be drawn randomly and announced in this post tomorrow morning. Good luck!
UPDATE: The winner of an autographed copy of SECRET, LIES...AND SEDUCTION is Kathleen. Congrats! Please send your physical address to contests(AT)kngihtagency.net.
The 411: A sexy summer anthology featuring two separate stories—twice the delectable scandal! CEO's Summer Seduction by Katherine Garbera Meet the billionaire boss: Sebastian Hughes has taken his secretary for granted one too many times. To keep her from walking out he must show her what she's really worth…fast! But she's seen all of his usual seduction ploys…and she'll only settle for the real thing.
Magnate's Mistress-for-a-Month by Yvonne Lindsay Watch out for the jaded businessman: Richard Wells has had it with romance…and marriage. Then he spies a woman on horseback and vows to bed her. But the object of his seduction is no privileged female. She's the hired help with a heart bound to make even this disillusioned bachelor crumble.
Lucienne Diver has created an awesome contest for the sophomore effort in her paranormal YA series. VAMPED and REVAMPED (Flux, September 2010) heroine, Gina, is looking for minions and not just any will do... First they must pass a test. The grand prize winner who proves they are king or queen of the minion pack will receive a Flip Video Camera. Here's a stolen bit from Lucienne's blog to explain the how, what and why:
Have y’all seen the application tapes from Dr. Horrible’s Sing-a-Long Blog for the Evil League of Evil (samples here)? Well, Gina’s on the side of sweetness and light…or at least, light…and taking applications of her own. That’s right, Gina wants, no NEEDS, minions. So, here’s the deal:
-create a video “application” to tell Gina why you’d make an amazing minion. Style, theatricality and humor all encouraged -send it to me at ginasminions @gmail.com (though without the space between ginasminions and @), along with a filled in, signed version of the statement below.
It’s as simple as that. Four finalists will be chosen and posted on my blog(s) by August 15th. The winner will be chosen on August 31st, the day before ReVamped officially hits shelves! The grand prize winner receives a Flip Video Camera, and the three runners-up $25 Barnes & Noble gift cards.
To get the required form to participate, visit Lucienne's blog.
UPDATE: The winner of RUSH by Jonathan Friesen is Rain Maiden! Congrats! Please email your physical addy to contests(AT)knightagency.net.
Leave a comment to win a copy of RUSH by Jonathan Friesen. The winner will be announced tomorrow afternoon.
The 411: Jake King is a full-fledged adrenaline junkie. He'll jump off of a waterfall, ride his bike down the side of a mountain, rock climb without harnesses…anything to feel the rush. Besides his best friend and secret love of his life, the beautiful Salome Lee, getting his adrenaline pumping is the only thing that clears his head. So when he's offered a spot on a hotshot crew of firefighters who rappel into wildfires, it's the perfect opportunity. Never mind that the crew members call themselves the Immortals, and that they have a habit of dying young. Salome knows there's more to the crew's mortality rate than bad luck, and to save Jake, she puts their friendship—and their unspoken romance—on the line. But to Jake, firefighting is like breathing pure adrenaline. And if he doesn't stop soon, they could all get burned. . . .
To celebrate the release of her latest novel, RED DEMON, Deidre Knight is throwing an impromptu chat party this Thursday, June 10th @ 8pm ET, in the Knight Agency chat room. We have two special guests planned, and I have it on good authority a few prizes will be given out. Make sure to put it on your calendars! Deets on how to chat:
What: Chat Online with Deidre When: Thursday, June 10th @ 8pm ET Where:The Knight Agency Chat Room How to Chat: Enter a username and password (any combination). Choose "Login." **Your computer must be java-enabled to chat.
Update: The winner of THE WHITE ROAD by Lynn Flewelling is Kathleen. Congrats! Please email your physical addy to contests(AT)knightagency.net.
Drawing From the Real
On May 25 the fifth in my Nightrunner Series, THE WHITE ROAD, was released by Random House's Spectra imprint. In an early review, The Romantic Times called my two roguish main characters, Seregil and Alec, "two of the most memorable heroes in fantasy." Good reviews are always nice, but I particularly like that one, because creating characters is the best part of my job.An inevitable interview question is, "Where do you get your ideas?" Stephen King gave one of my favorite responses: in a box in an alley behind a local pawn shop.
I give credit to the Great Cosmic Compost Heap that is our subconscious mind. The more prosaic answer? Everywhere. If you're not finding bits and pieces you can use in everyday life, you're just not paying attention. By paying attention and being open to new experiences you stoke that Great Cosmic Compost Heap. That's where the ideas come from, or at least my best ones. This is just as true of character creation as it is of world building. People fascinate me. I love studying faces, bodies, voice in airports or on subways. Such diversity! Years ago, when we lived in DC, I was getting on a bus and there was an elderly man ahead of me. As he reached for the door handle to climb up, I saw that his hands and face were covered in sharp bone spurs, especially on his knuckles. It made a strong impression, and years later an old beggar based on him appeared in one of the Nightrunner books. In that case I had only a visual impression, and my gut reactions at the time—surprise, unease, pity— are meant to telegraph to the reader, as well.
I rarely base characters directly on someone I know, but there are a few exceptions. My grandmother was a tough lady, loving, but also impatient and sharp-tongued. She was a little Scots Canadian woman, and in later life suffered with osteoporosis, which left her bowlegged and stooping, but unbowed. She had iron grey hair and a heavy, deeply lined face. Much of her life revolved around cooking and managing her extended family. When I needed to create a tavern owner closely allied with my main characters, my memories of Gram just sort of surfaced and now she lives on in Thryis, inn keeper at the Cockerel Inn. She makes only cameo experiences through two books, but every time she shows up I know exactly what she'll say and do.
However, it's not necessary to create an exact replica. In fact, it's impossible, since we only know certain facets of any person, no matter how close we are to them. So you distill out what you need and embroider the rest. It's usually better not to tell the person who serves as your "template," either; too often they think you got them wrong. Believe me, I speak from experience and other writers will tell you the same.
Another advantage of looking to real life, especially with character creation, is variety. It's dangerously easy to make all your secondary characters look pretty much alike, or generic: the stooped old woman, the fat tavern keeper, the tall and brawny hero, the always-beautiful heroine. There are real people of that description, of course, but the writer is in charge and needs to go a little deeper. Warts, stutters, dirty nails, missing teeth—don't make them into caricatures, but do flesh them out.
As for main characters, why do female heroes have to be pretty, or male heroes broodingly handsome? I have several plain characters, including Tamír, the protagonist of the Tamír Triad. The cover artist insisted on making her prettier, of course, but in the reader's mind, I want them to see someone who doesn't have men swooning at her feet, or women. That isn't a factor in her impact as a main character; it's her bravery, honesty, and will. A verse from Leonard Cohen's "Chelsea Hotel No. 2" sticks in my mind: "You told me again you preferred handsome men but for me you would make an exception/ And clenching your fist for the ones like us who are oppressed by the figures of beauty/ you fixed yourself, you said, "Well, never mind, we are ugly but we have the music."
Of course, appearance can be a double-edged thing. The two characters mentioned at the outset are very good looking. Seregil, a master of disguise, has, in fact, passed as a woman in the course of his work, but the same good looks allow him to present himself as "just another pretty face" at court, where being underestimated works in his favor as he passes himself off as a person of little consequence.
Give your characters the music. Let their personality and actions carry them, not just their looks.
To learn more about Lynn and her books, visit her website or follow her on Twitter!
Leave a comment to win a copy of THE WHITE ROAD by Lynn Flewelling. The winner will be announced tomorrow afternoon.
Red Demon Chat Party with Deidre Knight & Steampunk Tea Party Winners
To celebrate the release of her latests Gods of Midnight novel, RED DEMON, Deidre Knight is throwing an impromptu chat party this Thursday, June 10th @ 8pm ET, in the Knight Agency chat room. We have a special guest planned, and I have it on good authority a few prizes will be given out. Make sure to put it on your calendars! Deets on how to chat:
What: Chat Online with Deidre When: Thursday, June 10th @ 8pm ET Where:The Knight Agency Chat Room How to Chat: Enter a username and password (any combination). Choose "Login." **Your computer must be java-enabled to chat. ________________________________________
Thanks to everyone who attended Deidre and Gena's fab steampunk tea party! Winners of Deidre's Gods of Midnight books and bookplates are listed below!
Gods of Midnight Book of Choice Winners (Pick either RED FIRE, RED KISS or RED DEMON): Dino Rubio elaineg8
Gods of Midnight-themed Signed Bookplate Winners: RobinK Laura P. Tori [Book Faery] alisha_dawn Wendy
**Winners, please email your physical addresses to contests(AT)deidreknight.com.**
Tea Time with Deidre Knight and Gena Showalter -- Steampunk Style
I'm sure you're wondering what exactly is going on in the picture below... Lots of fun stuff I assure you. Deidre and Gena are co-hosting a Steampunk Tea Party to celebrate Deidre's latest Gods of Midnight release, RED DEMON. So grab your petticoats and get over there! Prizes include two winners' choice of signed Gods of Midnight books. Five signed bookplates are alao up for grabs. You can also use the name generator to create your own steampunk moniker and there are links to an interactive etiquette quiz and much more!
UPDATE: The winner of ASSASSIN'S HONOR by Monica Burns is Jami G.! Congrats! Please email your physical addy to contests(AT)knightagency.net.
Leave a comment to win* a copy of ASSASSIN'S HONOR by Monica Burns. The winner will be announced tomorrow afternoon. *Please note, today's giveaway is sponsored by Penguin, and is limited to U.S. and Canadian residents only.*
A sexy new adventure-packed romance with a paranormal twist-from the award-winning author.
Archeologist Emma Zale sees the past when she touches relics. It's how she uncovered evidence of an ancient order of assassins-the Sicari. When a sinfully dark stranger shows up on her Chicago doorstep demanding an artifact she doesn't have, he drags her into a world where telekinesis and empaths-someone who can sense the emotions of others- are the norm. Now someone wants her dead, and her only hope of survival is an assassin who's every bit as dangerous to her body as he is to her heart.
The 411: Even a devil deserves the good love of a woman...
The 411: Even a devil deserves the good love of a woman...
